Satan is a master theologian. He’s talked to God, interacted with God, believes in God’s existence, and knows more about God’s attributes and abilities than most…and yet Satan doesn’t love God.
Knowledge about God doesn’t equal faith in God.
Just because you have a vast understanding of God, expert knowledge of Biblical Law, intimate comprehension of Biblical History, and an encyclopedic grasp of all scripture still doesn’t mean you love Jesus—Satan certainly didn’t.
Satan isn’t frightening just because he’s so evil, but because he’s so similar to us!
We crave power, control, recognition, fame, success, and the authority to judge others—obtaining them via religion, often under the false pretense of holiness.
We attend church, participate in spiritual activities, pretend to love others, and even talk to God, but sometimes we’re just fulfilling our sinful desires—appearing to be very “Christian” in the process.
Meanwhile, we accuse others of being sinners. We condemn our enemies to eternal damnation for not believing the right things, not holding the correct theology, attending the wrong churches, participating in the wrong lifestyles, voting for the wrong politicians, having wrong opinions, and not perfectly complying with our perception of holiness.
Maybe this is why God instructs us not to judge others—because we’re often completely wrong.
Even though Satan looked the part, the Fruits of the Spirit were non-existent.
We have no idea. Even when we think we do—we don’t.
Our faith isn’t dependent on correct theological beliefs, intellectual knowledge, or even our ability to interact with God—these things are important but utterly useless without a loving relationship with Christ.
If you don’t have all the answers, don’t worry, because you never will. Christianity isn’t about a quest for answers. Theology is really meant to reveal the Divine truth that God is love, ultimately helping us love God better, and love others as we would love ourselves.
Humility, grace, peace, hope, patience, kindness, and love have everything to do with a desire to passionately follow Christ and emulate His life.
It won’t be a perfect. We’ll have our ups and downs and will often fail. But the point is to keep trying to love. Loving God and loving others—this is what Christianity is all about.
You must develop an unshakable conviction about growth.
First and foremost, you need to settle on the idea that God wants his church to grow. And he doesn’t want it to stop growing!
You don’t ever need to apologize for wanting your church to grow. God wants his church to grow; it’s his will and his command. The reason churches must grow is because people are who don’t know Jesus Christ. As long as there is one person within driving distance of your church that does not know Jesus Christ, you must keep growing.
You must change the primary role of the pastor from minister to leader.
You can grow a church to 300 with pastoral skills or ministry skills, but growing beyond 300 will require leadership skills. As a leader, you must learn to communicate your vision in very personal and practical ways. You must also learn to motivate your church through your messages, and understand that it’s easier to motivate a group than it is to motivate individuals.
A leader also equips others for ministry. Otherwise, you’ll burn out and the church won’t grow. An expanding ministry also demands you learn how to raise money. Those who write the agenda must underwrite the agenda, and you must learn to manage your time. Effective leaders know where their time goes.
You must organize around the gifts of your people.
The team God gives you will show you how to structure. Organizing around the gifts of your people will allow the church to focus on ministry, not maintenance. A gifts-based ministry encourages teamwork. It also makes better use of the talent around you (and why do you think God brought this talent into your church?).
Building your structure on the gifts and talents within the church promotes creativity and allows for spontaneous growth. Ministries bubble up, rather than waiting on a board meeting to dissect every possibility. And decision-making becomes more efficient while the structure grows more stable.
You must budget according to your purposes and priorities.
Obviously the budget of the church shows the priorities and the direction of the church. I’d suggest you take the budget items and ask of each item, “Which purpose does this fit under?” This will help your people visualize what you’re trying to do, and what you’re doing with God’s money.
You must add staff on purpose.
Build your staff by first adding generalists and then specialists. First, you want to add people who can do lots of things because you’re only going to have one. Then as you go down the road, you can add more and more specialists.
When do you want to add staff? As soon as you can … immediately, if at all possible. You want to build as many volunteers as quickly as you can and also add staff as quickly as you can. Anytime you add a staff member, that’s a faith step and allows the church to grow to the next level.
You must offer multiple services.
Obviously to expand the structure, you will have to multiply, and to multiply, you have to offer multiple services. Why? Because more hooks in the water mean you can catch more fish.
At what point should you add a new service? I would say when you can have at least 75-100 people in that service. If you’re trying to reach new people, you have to have a large enough crowd so that the new people who just walked in don’t feel like everybody’s looking at them.
You must create affinity groups to enhance community.
The more affinity groups you have, the more ways you have to connect with people. You want to avoid your church becoming a single-cell amoeba, so deliberately structure your church so it won’t become one big group that doesn’t reach out to other people.
You must intentionally break through attendance barriers with big days.
Crowds attract crowds! People like to be around crowds. When you have big, special days – maybe Easter, maybe a Friend Day – there’s something about seeing an extra 100 people (or an extra 1,000) that expands your congregation’s vision. They see what the church can be, and they see what it can look like. These special days help the church to see itself as bigger and growing and vibrant.
Now you know this is coming (Ha!), but this seems like a good time to mention again how a special 40 Days emphasis could energize your church. For more information, visit www.PurposeDriven.com.
You must add surplus seating space and parking.
When it comes to building a facility, most churches build too little and too soon. And then the shoe begins to tell the foot how big it can get! You want to build as big as you can, which means having more than enough seating and more than enough parking. Sometimes that means you’ll have to wait to build until you can build big enough. We didn’t build at Saddleback for years because we knew we wouldn’t be able to build big enough – we were growing so fast. So don’t limit yourself by building too early.
You must continually evaluate your progress.
Take a regular and honest look at what is going on in your church (and where your church is going). If you try to study everything you’ll end up with the paralysis of analysis, so decide to track three or four significant numbers, such as attendance or small groups.
Then compare the numbers of where you are now with where you’ve come from and where you want to be. Don’t compare yourself with a church down the road. Frankly, that won’t help evaluate the health of your own church.
Finally, decide on a standard for measuring the health of your church and shoot for it. The process is constant; you may hit the mark you’ve set today, but tomorrow is a new day. Continually evaluate your progress and make the necessary adjustments to grow healthy while growing larger.
Editor’s Note: This article was adapted, by popular demand, from the Purpose Driven Church Conference.
Original Source: http://pastors.com/4-reasons-people-reluctant-visit-church/
4 Reasons People Are Reluctant to Visit Your Church and What to Do About It
By Rick Warren
Before I started Saddleback church 34 years ago, I spent 12 weeks going door-to-door in our area trying to discover the answers to that important question. The answers I got were not at all what I expected or what I wanted to hear! But over the years, I found these same 4 complaints and excuses still being used by folks who don’t attend any church.
“Church services are boring, especially the sermons. The messages don’t relate to my life. Why should I go? I don’t understand it and it doesn’t really help me.”
In our area, this has been the number one excuse for not attending church. It’s amazing how some pastors are able to take the most exciting book in the world and bore people to tears with it! Miraculously, they’re able to turn bread into stones!
The tragedy of being a boring speaker is that it causes people to think God is boring! So when I heard this first complaint over and over, I determined to somehow learn to communicate God’s Word in a practical, interesting way. I hope I’m getting better at it, because I do everything I can to be interesting. A sermon does not have to be boring to be biblical and it doesn’t have to be dry to be doctrinal. This is an extremely important distinction: The unchurched aren’t asking for watered-down messages … just practical ones! They want to hear something on Sunday that they can apply to their lives on Monday.
“Church members are unfriendly to visitors. It feels like a ‘clique.’ If I ever went to church, I’d want to feel welcomed without being watched or embarrassed.”
Many unchurched people told me that they felt like the church was a “members only” organization. Because they didn’t know the “inside” terminology, songs, or rituals, they felt foolish and felt the members were watching them in judgment. The #1 emotion unbelievers feel when they visit a worship service is fear! They are honestly scared to death of what might happen. And that means they raise their defenses, so communicating with them becomes very difficult. When I heard this second excuse from unbelievers, we determined to do whatever it takes to make visitors feel welcomed and wanted without feeling watched. There’s a simple word for this: Politeness! It’s thinking more of others than we do of ourselves. Being seeker sensitive is NOT compromising what you believe. It is just treating non-believers the way Jesus would!
“The church is more interested in my money than in me. All they care about is getting my money–and who knows how they spend it!”
Due to the highly visible (and often highly questionable) fundraising tactics of televangelists and many Christian organizations, the unchurched are incredibly sensitive to appeals for money. Unfortunately, many lost people believe that pastors are “in it just for the money.” Opulent church buildings have only added fuel to the fire. We decided to counteract this complaint by giving a disclaimer when we take an offering. We explain that the offering is only for those who are a part of our church family. We simply announce, “If you are visitor at Saddleback, you are not expected to give an offering. We want you to get something today!” Besides, asking unbelievers to contribute before they have given their lives to Christ is getting the cart before the horse.
“We worry about the quality of the church’s childcare at church. What will be done with our baby and our children? We’re not sure we can trust strangers with the care of our kids.”
Our area is filled with young couples, so it was not surprising when I discovered this fear. Every church must earn the trust of parents. At Saddleback, we have adopted a set of very stringent guidelines for our children’s ministry, including FBI checks, fingerprinting, and personal interviews of all children’s workers to insure safety and quality. We have a very secure check-in and check-out system. We’d rather go overboard on safety than be thrown overboard with a lawsuit. If you want to reach young couples, you must spend the effort to create a safe and attractive children’s program.
Jesus told the disciples to be strategic in their evangelism. “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves” – Matthew 10:16. When it comes to reaching unbelievers, I think this means identifying and understanding their perceived hang-ups and real problems that they have with the church–and then doing whatever it takes to defuse those issues so the message of Christ can be heard.
In football, successful teams know how to “read the defense.” That means when the offensive team lines up for each play, the quarterback looks out at the opposing team to see how they are lined up. He tries to figure out in advance how the defense will respond and what barriers might prevent the execution of the play. Sometimes that means calling an “audible”–announcing a change in plans. If the quarterback doesn’t do this, he usually gets creamed!
In evangelism “reading the defense” means understanding and anticipating the objections unbelievers will have before they voice them. It’s learning to think like an unbeliever. That, by the way, becomes increasingly more difficult the longer you are a Christian.
What is most interesting to me about these 4 common complaints is that none of them are theological issues. I rarely meet people who say, “I don’t go to church because I don’t believe in God.” The truth is many people are very open to learning about God and spiritual issues, they just don’t feel welcome at church or feel that it has anything to offer them. That is OUR problem. We must take the initiative, like Jesus did, to meet people where they are and then move them to where they need to be.
Great read– original posting from: http://pastors.com/11-practices-churches-excited-take-unchurched-friends/
11 Practices Of Churches You Are Excited To Take Your Unchurched Friends To
By Brian K. Dodd
A dark reality exists for many Christians that deep down they don’t talk about at parties. Many Christians, if they would be totally transparent, are extremely nervous to bring their unchurched friends to their weekend services. This concern comes from a variety of things. Lack of excellence, outdated music, rude members and boring sermons are just a few of many hurdles Christians must overcome before inviting their friends who are unchurched.
This past Sunday my wife received a phone call from a friend who joyfully said, “The young couple we just met came to church today. They had a great time. I am so proud of our church.” I immediately followed up to find out what were the key factors in this young couple, who also had a newborn baby, having such a great experience.
The following are 11 Practices Of Churches You Are Excited To Take Your Unchurched Friends To:
Churches You Are Excited To Take Your Unchurched Friends To Act Like They Are Expecting Unchurched People To Show Up – This church had clear signage upon entering the property which directed them directly to easy-access Visitor Parking.
Churches You Are Excited To Take Your Unchurched Friends To Are Genuinely Glad Unchurched People Showed Up – Upon entering their parking space, an attendant opened the door of the wife and helped them get their newborn baby out of the vehicle. As they walked toward the building, the attendant said, “We’re glad you’re visiting with us today.”
Churches You Are Excited To Take Your Unchurched Friends To Have People Designated To Serve Them – Upon entering the church building, the attendant handed the family over to a nice female greeter. This was the second point of contact in just a few moments.
Churches You Are Excited To Take Your Unchurched Friends To Give Unchurched People Multiple Options – The greeter then provided the family multiple options on what to do with their baby – nursing room, nursery or the best places to sit in the sanctuary.
Churches You Are Excited To Take Your Unchurched Friends To Are Proactive And Well-Informed – After presenting the mother with the three options, she then gave her a tour of each area. The greeter was well-informed on both the church as well as the needs of this young family.
Churches You Are Excited To Take Your Unchurched Friends To Are Concerned With Their Children’s Safety – Security and the safety of children are big deals to both church and unchurched people. The greeter went over how the entire security process worked if they chose to leave their baby in the nursery. This included a numbering system which would be shown on an overhead screen. The visiting mother was also introduced to another lady stationed just outside the sanctuary doors who would escort her back to the nursery if she needed to leave the service and see her baby.
Churches You Are Excited To Take Your Unchurched Friends To Are Generous To Unchurched People – After taking her on a tour and making sure their baby was adequately cared for, they were given a gift which included a wrapped mug with a Starbuck’s gift card.
Churches You Are Excited To Take Your Unchurched Friends To Meet The Needs Of Unchurched People – After receiving their gift, the couple was taken to the church cafe where they were served quality (not cheap) complimentary coffee and muffins. At this point they are ready to attend the morning worship service.
Churches You Are Excited To Take Your Unchurched Friends To Create Services Unchurched People Love To Attend – The young husband was ambushed by a worship service unlike anything he attended as a boy. What a pleasant surprise.
Churches You Are Excited To Take Your Unchurched Friends To Create Memorable Events For Unchurched People – The church happened to be taking family photos this past Sunday. With their baby just being a couple of months old, the family received a tangible memory for their first outing together.
11. Churches You Are Excited To Take Your Unchurched Friends To Are Churches Unchurched People Come Back To – The couple told my wife’s friend, “This was great. We’ll be back next week.”
Pope Francis caused some controversy among theological conservative Roman Catholics when he counseled a young person who had recently lost their dog to death. Pope Francis reassured them that their dog was in heaven.
One of my favorite stories about Pr. Dietrich Bonhoeffer is eerily similar to what Pope Francis encountered last week. (Pr. Bonhoeffer is the great German Lutheran pastor who resisted Hitler and the Nazi party during WWII. He was eventually killed for his active resistance.)
The story:
A tearful boy whose dog had just died asked Pr. Dietrich Bonhoeffer if he would see his dog again in heaven. Bonhoeffer responds, “Look, God created human beings and also animals, and I’m sure he also loves animals. And I believe that with God it is such that all who loved each other on earth — genuinely loved each other — will remain together with God, for to love is part of God. Just how that happens, though, we admittedly don’t know.”
